Suzy Q Chocolate Cake

Prepare your Devil’s Food Cake batter as directed on the package, using the required additional ingredients.

Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans. By “prepare” I mean coat them with a thin layer of butter and cocoa.

Evenly distribute the batter into each cake pan and bake as directed on the package. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center of your cake, pull pans out and let the cakes cool in pans on a wire wrack.

When the pans are cool enough to handle, turn them upside down on the wire wrack and give them a good tap. The cakes should pop right out.

While the cakes are cooling, start putting together your filling/frosting. Combine the powdered sugar, oil, shortening, butter, and salt in a big mixing bowl. Beat this on high for 5 minutes. Now add your egg white and vanilla. Beat on high for another 3 minutes, not a second shorter.

By now your cakes should be cooled. This is a four layer cake and as you have probably noticed, we only make two cakes. This means you have to slice each layer in half (horizontally). Place your hand over the middle to brace the cake and use a sharp serrated knife to make a horizontal cut through the middle of each layer.

Divide the icing into even sections so you can cover each layer and don’t run out.

Ice the top of each layer and then place another layer of cake on top and repeat until you’re all done.

There will likely be some crumbs that broke away from your cake. Instead of wasting these, I spread them on top of the cake for some added contrast. Crushed Oreos or shaved chocolate would also be good garnishes.